The Sanitation Department under Mayor Zohran Mamdani resumed issuing fines on January 1, 2026 to residents and building owners who fail to separate food scraps for curbside composting, reversing a pause imposed under the Adams administration and signaling that the new City Hall intends to enforce the city’s mandatory organics program.

In the first three weeks of the year — January 1 through January 21 — inspectors issued 330 noncompliance summonses, an early sign of the enforcement turn. The move drew notice in part for how quietly it arrived, catching some New Yorkers off guard after months in which the rules went largely unenforced.

What changed

Curbside composting has been mandatory across all five boroughs since October 2024, requiring residents to set out food scraps and yard waste separately from trash. The city issued warnings for the first six months, then on April 1, 2025 began fining buildings that did not comply.

That enforcement was short-lived. Weeks into the fine regime, the Adams administration paused penalties for most property owners — a reversal that drew criticism from Council members who had pushed for the program. Smaller buildings, those with 30 or fewer units, were exempted from fines until 2026.

The Mamdani administration flipped the switch back on at the start of 2026. Mamdani had signaled as mayor-elect, in December 2025, that the city would keep mandatory composting and enforce it.

The fines

For smaller residential buildings, the penalties are graduated: $25 for a first offense, $50 for a second, and $100 for a third. The structure is designed to escalate against repeat noncompliance rather than impose a single large penalty.

The case for enforcement

The administration’s argument rests on data showing that fines change behavior. According to the Independent Budget Office, organics collection nearly tripled during the brief 2025 enforcement blitz. After the Adams administration stopped issuing fines to most violators, collection fell about 43%. The pattern is the core of the case for turning enforcement back on: without the threat of a summons, participation slides.

Sanitation Commissioner Gregory Anderson, who leads the department under Mamdani, has framed the program as a combination of carrots and sticks. He has pointed to progress in collection while acknowledging more work remains, describing the effort as part education and outreach, part enforcement.

Why it matters

Composting is a climate and waste-management priority for the city: diverting food scraps from landfills cuts methane emissions and reduces the rats that feed on street garbage. But the program only works at scale if households actually separate their organics, and the 2025 experience showed that participation tracks closely with whether the city is writing tickets.

The resumption of fines is one of the Mamdani administration’s first concrete enforcement decisions, and a small but telling one. It puts the new City Hall on record continuing a Sanitation Department initiative through a moment when its predecessor blinked — and it ties the program’s future to the city’s willingness to keep inspectors on the street.

Verification

Frequently Asked Questions

When did composting fines resume?
The Mamdani administration restored fines on January 1, 2026, reversing a pause the Adams administration had imposed in 2025. From January 1 through January 21, 2026, sanitation inspectors issued 330 noncompliance summonses.
How much are the fines?
For smaller buildings, fines start at $25 for a first offense, rise to $50 for a second, and $100 for a third. Curbside composting has been mandatory citywide since October 2024.
Who runs the Sanitation Department under Mamdani?
Sanitation Commissioner Gregory Anderson oversees the agency. He has described the city's approach as a mix of education, outreach and enforcement.
Does enforcement actually change behavior?
Per the Independent Budget Office, organics collection nearly tripled during a 2025 enforcement blitz, then fell about 43% after the Adams administration stopped issuing fines to most property owners — evidence that fines drive participation.